Taking model pictures (9)

Paint.net (continued)

Creating the “sky” layer and its gradient

Let’s create a new layer. In the Colors window,
create a blue colour with R = 212, G = 232, and B = 255 (1). Invert
the Primary and Secondary colours, and select the white in the palette
(2). We have now white as primary colour and sky blue as secondary
colour.

Choose Gradient in the Tools
window. By clicking at the starting point (bottom) and then moving up
while holding the button down, the gradient appears, contained in the
selected area, white down, blue upwards.

Now, to avoid a too sharp cut out, after deselecting the sky, let’s
do Effect / Blur / Gaussian Blur / 2 (exact value
to test, say 2 to 4 depending on the image size, but 2 most often gives
excellent results), which has the effect of blurring the “sky” limit
by blending the blue pixels with transparent pixels.

Applying the gradient, then the Gaussian blur

Save to PDN

For safety reasons and also to reserve the possibility to go back on
modifications, it is better to save the complex image to the proprietary
format PDN. This can be used, for example, if the mask is subsequently
discovered incomplete and the “sky” pierces the object being
photographed!

“Flattening” the image

Now we just have to delete the Mask layer, and to merge the Sky layer
into the Background layer.

We can also simply do Image / Flatten, but then we
get no control on the order in which the mergers or deletions are
going to take place (it may have its importance).

Effect of the blur applied to the sky: if you zoom in on the limit
between the model and the sky, you will see that this limit has a
gradual, not too sharp transition, which would betray the “montage” and
would be not really aesthetic.

General view enlarged 2 times.
“Magnifiers” × 4; at the top, without blur: the aliasing is visible; at
the bottom, with blur.

Save to JPEG

Let’s finish by saving to JPEG. Here is the result.

Final picture

Note: for car photography, as here, it is a little more complicated,
because you must reserve a different treatment to the windows. They are
certainly transparent, but absorb some light; it is therefore necessary
to darken a little the light crossing them. However, specular
reflections, i.e. reflected by a very smooth surface like water or glass,
must be kept. That’s what I did here (see the windscreen).

This is the end of this little trip in photography. I don’t pretend
to hold THE truth, but only some experience. I don’t claim to have
explained everything in a clear and exhaustive way! I left you a little
work… Enjoy!